The present invention relates generally to a vision system for a vehicle, and more particularly, concerns a 360xc2x0 vision system for a vehicle for indicating the existence of and relative distance to other vehicles proximate the reference vehicle.
Injury, death, and financial loss as a result of automobile accidents are some of the greatest concerns in today""s society. Improving the safety of our transportation system, including the roads and the vehicles which travel thereon, is an on-going effort. In this regard, vehicle manufacturers continue to make vehicle safety a highest priority. To this end, impressive advances have been made in various areas of technology relating to automotive collision management, avoidance, and warning systems. Numerous patents have been issued which are directed toward detecting objects such as other vehicles or roadside barriers in the environment around a moving vehicle. These include radar and optical based vehicle environment systems.
Safe driving decisions can best be made with a complete understanding of the surrounding vehicle environment. Thus, it is advantageous to have knowledge regarding the existence of any vehicle proximate to the operator""s vehicle, the relationship between the operator""s vehicle and any adjacent vehicles as well as the threat assessment posed by the relative position of adjacent vehicles, i.e., whether they are very near or whether they are rapidly approaching. Vehicle side-view mirrors and rearview mirrors can provide partial understanding of the surrounding vehicle environment, but require the vehicle operator to divert his or her attention from the road and provide only a partial view of the areas adjacent the vehicle. Thus, there exists a need for improving a vehicle operator""s awareness of his or her surrounding environment.
Most sensors for detecting the presence of and relative distance to vehicles adjacent an operator""s vehicle are positioned at the front or rear of the vehicle such as integrated into the front and rear bumpers, or somewhere along the sides of the vehicle to detect adjacent vehicles in the xe2x80x9cblind spotsxe2x80x9d of the side-view mirrors. Distance measurements to the detected vehicles are obtained typically accomplished by radar-type sensing systems. Some of these solutions for the detection of and measurement to a detected vehicle can be costly and complex. Thus, there exists a need for a simplified vision system for a vehicle that provides a 360xc2x0 field of view as well as a simplified means for determining the relative distance to a detected vehicle within the field of view.
In the present invention, the aforementioned problem is solved through the provision of a vehicle environment monitoring system including a camera mounted on top of the vehicle and a conical reflector in operative relation to the camera. The camera and the conical reflector provide a 360xc2x0 field of view image around the vehicle. A controller is also included which is adapted to detect objects within the field of view image, and determine a reference angle between the vehicle and a detected object. The controller also generates a distance value between the vehicle and the detected object as a function of a lane width value (w) and a reference angle (q). In one embodiment, the system includes an overhead-view display system including a reference vehicle indicator representative of the vehicle within the environment and an indicator element adapted to display the detected object with respect to the vehicle indicator as a function of the distance value.
One advantage of the present invention is that only one sensor is required to achieve a 360xc2x0 field of view around the reference vehicle. Another advantage, is that the vehicle environment awareness sensor is in a relatively safe location on the vehicle and is less prone to damage or interference than other vehicle or object awareness sensors which are typically located on the bumpers or body of the reference vehicle.
Other advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and appended claims, and upon reference to the accompanying drawings.